Einstein's Mirror
by Aretood2
Summary: You ever wonder how things would be like if Claudia Donovan remained the villain? Well here is a tale of two Claudias where the most lovable and innocent character, and cute, meets her bad self...okay not everyone thinks she's innocent, cute and lovable.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my second Warehouse 13 fanfic, and I do believe that I have discovered the art of emotional whumping, oops. This fanfic is made readable thanks to Winged Pegasus, who has her own account here, and a .net user known as Choccolate_Muffin. These two awesome girls beta'd this fanfic for me and offered some nice suggestions. Thanks be given to them, OR ELSE!_

_So I present to you "Einstein's Mirror"_

_THE WAREHOUSE_

The air in the Warehouse became stale after a surge of sparksattracted the attention of Leena, who was making her usual rounds. She had taken it upon herself to help out Artie around the Warehouse while he had to attend other matters. She knew that Claudia was also doing some inventory, but she had not seen her. _'Hopefully she didn't get herself into trouble again,' _Leena thought to herself as she quickly made her way throughthe labyrinth of aisles of which the Warehouse was composed. She heard some loug coughingcoming from deep inside an aisle of mirrors. As she cautiously walked up to the young red headed girlthe hair on the back of her neck began to slightly rise as a soft panic**.** There was a mist of darkness emanating from her aura. Claudia's presence was like a wildfire, hungry, destructive, and waiting to consume anything or anyone that got in her way.

"Claudia?" Leena called out, hoping that she was mistaken and that the person before her was not Claudia. The Claudia-like figure responded in shock, clearly not expecting to have been found so quickly.

"Oh, it's you," she responded with contempt in her voice and a thousand daggers shooting out from her eyes. Her hair was frizzy, and slightly longer than the last time she had seen her. She wore a ragged leather jacket on top of a dark, striped, long sleeve shirt and tight dark jeans with her usual shoes, but more worn down than Leena recalled

"I was hoping that you wouldn't show up," Claudia continued, circling Leena**-**who was too confused to do anything other than stand still.

"What? Don't have any more Jedi mind tricks you can use on me?" Claudia reached into her jacket, "You're such a pathetic little twerp." Leena finally realized what was going on, but before she could do anything a dozen bolts of electricity latched on to her body, paralyzing her in a scream. Claudia had shot her with a modified Telsa.

"I made it so you would be paralyzed for a day or two. It also has a shock setting to work like a taser. You like?" Claudia taunted the shivering and paralyzed on the floor.

Claudia dragged Leena across the Warehouse and stuffed her into a seemingly empty crate. "Now don't go all Dracula on me, okay?" Claudia taunted her with a devious smile. "Nighty night!" She closed the crate on Leena and walked away nonchalantly.

Claudia'seyes opened only to be blinded by the lights of the Warehouse. She cringed at her harsh headache. Claudia slowly sat up trying to get her bearings straight. She couldn't quite remember what happened. One moment she was walking through the warehouse looking for Leena, and then she just wakes up with a killer headache.

"_Okay, Claudia, you're at __in__ the Warehouse and you have a killer headache,'"_she told herself. She cringed as she forced herself to stand. She used her right hand to rub the back of her head, which was where most of the pain was comingfrom. She started to look around, trying to remember what happened, but it all was a blur.

Claudia began to make her way out of the aisle in which she found herself when the majorityof the Warehouse's lights went off. She could still see the office, only a relatively short distance away. "How did I get here?" Claudia asked herself, then turned around, facing the far end of the Warehouse.

"Which ever one of you did this, you'll be sorry!" she yelled

"Not as sorry as you'll be!" Myka came up behind Claudia with her Telsa gun aimed at her.

"Myka!" Claudia greeted her, "There's an artifact back there acting up and—" Myka shoved Claudia against the end of a shelf, crushing Claudia's throat beneath her forearm.

"The whole place is acting up, thanks to you!" Myka shouted, training her weapon on Claudia, whose eyes were open wide. Claudia began to squirm as she used her own hands to push Myka's arm back enough to allow her to breath.

"Myka," Claudia spoke with difficulty, "What's gotten…into you?"

"What did you do to Artie!" Myka demanded to know, ignoring Claudia's question.

"Myka," Pete called her, "He's awake." Pete looked at Myka, then at Claudia. Myka removed her arm from Claudia's throat. Claudia coughed as she sucked in as much air as possible.

"There's no reason to go all crazy on me," Claudia said, hoping to cover the fact that she was hopelessly confused. Myka grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her forward and pushed her. "Move!" Myka ordered.

"Alright, I'm moving," Claudia spoke. Pete and Myka escorted Claudia back inside the office. It was a mess, a bigger mess than normal. She spotted Artie on the couch unconscious.

"Artie!" Claudia shouted and ran off towards him only to be tackled by Pete. The she slammed onto the floor and looked back at him. Everything was wrong, Artie wasn't even supposed to be at the Warehouse. Pete and Myka were all different, and even the things scattered throughout the office was different. It was as if she stepped into another world that was not her own.

"You stay away from him!" Pete yelled at her in complete rage holding back a barrage of curses. Claudia did not get up, she only pushed herself back silent, confused, worried.

Artie took notice of Claudia and managed concentrate to speak, "Wait, Pete. It's not her." Artie examined the scared and confused girl in front of him

"What do you mean it's not her?" Myka asked.

Artie pointed at Claudia, "Before she hypnotized me using Ramo Sammee's juggling balls, she talked about Einstein's Quantum Mirror, the Claudia we knew is long gone by now. This is not our Claudia.

Myka and Pete took a moment and both noticed Claudia's nearly well groomed hair. And generally more cheerfully colored outfit.

"Our Claudia?" Pete asked.

"What?" Myka spoke, confused.

"It's me, Artie!" Claudia exclaimed not sure what he was talking about.

"This is not good," Artie stood up and rushed over towards the bookshelf and retrieved an old brown book. He quickly flipped through the pages while Myka had her gun aimed at Claudia. "Albert Einstein's Quantum Mirror," Artie finally spoke rushing over to the desk with the computers, "It can switch people or objects between alternate realities. It helped him develop his theory of relativity by trying to understand how he could travel to alternate realities. He never did, but another scientist later on built on it and developed string theory." Artie's quick explanation was not only ludicrous to Myka's ears, but insane and confusing to both Myka and Pete.

"Arite," Myka spoke, "what are you saying?"

"Einstein's mirror swapped our Claudia with a Claudia from another reality," Artie clarified.

"No waaay," Claudia said, "I guess I passed through a dimension not only of sight, but of mind."


	2. Chapter 2

_ NORMAL WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE_

"Hey Claud," Myka greeted Alternate Claudia as they both entered the Warehouse's main office. Alternate Claudia fought back the desire to mock her and just casually waved as Pete Joined them. "Have you seen Leena? She said that if I didn't touch anything she'd personally bake me a plate of cookies," Pete announced not noticing anything different about Claudia. '_These idiots are even dumber than I thought,' _Alternate Claudia thought to herself.

"Wow, I guess that boyfriend thing finally caught up to you," Pete said finally noticing Alternate Claudia's pale face, messy hair and roughed up clothes.

"Pete!" Myka admonished him and slapped his shoulder

"What?" Pete answered innocently robbing the offended shoulder, "I was just joking."

"Will it kill you to act your age for once?" Myka asked him.

"Yes it would," Pete answered defiantly.

Alternate Claudia rolled her eyes at the both of them and made her way to the exit. "Where are you going?" Myka asked. "To Leena's," Alternate Claudia shouted back as she walked through the door, "going to check on her."

"Did she look a little different? Like crazy different?" Pete finally commented on _Claudia's_ unusual appearance. Myka didn't reply also wondering what was going on until she finally realized something, "didn't Leena say that she'd be around here early doing some work for Artie?" Pete started to look uncomfortable, as if he could see something huge but wasn't sure if it was there. "Peeeete," Myka spoke knowing the expression on his face, "Are you getting a vibe?"

"I…I think so," Pete answered as he took a step towards the loft overlooking the Warehouse.

"I'll get Artie," Myka said as she reached for the Farnsworth. Artie's face showed up on the screen upon its activation.

"Myka," he acknowledged her. He looked somewhat disturbed about at the interruption.

"Artie, do you know where Leena is?" Myka asked.

"She's supposed to be working in the Warehouse," he answered. "Why? Is something wrong?" Artie's glasses began to slide down, drawing attention to his bushy eyebrows.

"Artie," Pete chimed in, "I just had a feeling. It's probably nothing."

"We can't take any chances," Artie responded as he pushed his glasses back into place, "Where's Claudia?" Myka pushed herself back into view to answer Artie "She's at Lena's right now." Artie sighed, somehow he knew that Claudia must have something to do. She's been behaving in the past, but everyone knew it was only a matter of time before she decided to get _creative._ "I'll stop over on my way," he said, "just…stay right there."

Just as the Farnsworth was being turned off Pete and Myka heard a faint, strangely familiar female voice ask Artie the question "Is something wrong?" Pete scratched his ear trying to figure something out, "Did you hear music in the background?" he asked Myka.

_ALTERNATE WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE_

"Even if she is from another universe," Myka argued, "What makes you think she's any different?" Claudiawas sitting on a chair, Indian style, as she watched the exchange.

"That's why I have this," Artie came out of the archive room with an old book, "Jorge Luis Borges' diary. He wrote the famous short story, 'Garden of Forking Paths.' It was inspired by this book." Artie placed the book on the table in front of Claudia who dropped on foot to the floor and leaned closer. "His story involved alternate timelines, arguably. This book tells you what happens a few days in the future, but in other realities. You can see what you should and shouldn't do," Artie finished explaining.

"Awesomesauce," Claudia said. "So how do I do this?" She stared at it. Artie paused along with everyone else. "What?" Claudia asked looking at the others. Artie stared back down at the book, letters began to appear, in Spanish.

"It says that this is not our Claudia," Myka said, who happened to know Spanish. She was starting to believe what Artie was saying.

"So now we just switch the two and catch Claudia and go home?" Pete asked.

"There's one problem," Artie said. "Unless someone quickly trades places with their counterpart in the other reality, they'll start to cancel each other out within a few hours."

"We won't be able to go to the other universe and catch her," Myka said.

"Why not send her? Either way she'll have to send the Claudia we know back," Pete said. Everyone agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

_NORMAL WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE_

Claudia Donovan, a child lost in the world, discharged by all. That's how she felt for half her life, and now was her chance to make things right. After arriving at Leena's, she quickly made her way upstairs to her room—or rather, the other Claudia's room. It didn't take long for her to figure out the security systems on _her _laptop.

"That was way too easy," she saidto no one in particular. She found what she was looking for, Joshua. She spent nearly an hour trying to call him via the webcam chat. Half the time she trembled at the thought of being able to see him after so many years. Joshua finally answered.For that moment every bit of resentment she felt towards others was swept away at the elation of seeing her brother—even though he wasn't her Joshua.

"Claudia?" Joshua said, surprised by the sudden call. Claudia stiffened, a flood of tears nearly broke out, her body began to shake. It was Joshua, her dead brother, but alive with his dark hair and all too familiar voice.

"Claudia?" Joshua asked again, "what's wrong?"

"No-Nothing," Claudia finally forced herself to speak, however there was slight stutter in her speech, "Ca-" Claudia was without words, she attempted to swallow but her mouth was dry and her eyes became watery. "Since when is it a crime to say hi?" Claudia finally managed to ask.

"Oh uh, I just wasn't expecting to hear from you for another few days," Joshua explained. Claudia rolled her eyes at him, "You can be such a boob sometimes." She started to smile, so many things needed to be said.She wanted to tell him how much she missed him.

"I guess I should tell you now," Joshua said, ignoring his sister's comment.

"What? You finally got a girlfriend?" Claudia asked, still trying her best to hold back the flood of emotions coursing through her veins she was starting to lose control.

"You're never going to stop that, are you?" Joshua stated more than asked. Claudia glanced up and something caught her eye. Right there on the shelf was a thin book that she never forgot about,"Maria Looney on the Red Planet." The very same book that Joshua always read to her. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She closed her eyes.

"Claudia?" Joshua called out, but before he managed to say anything else, Claudia slammed the laptop shut.

"It's not fair!" She screamed. With an angry growl she shoved the laptop across the desk knocking everything in its path to the floor before it too smashed on the ground.Claudia grabbed the chair she was sitting on and used it to smash the desk repeatedly until the chair broke. She threw the broken chair across the room at the window. Upon impact the glass shattered into dozens of shards. She couldn't hold the anger, the sadness in any longer. _'That brat that these people knew had it all,'_ she thought.She had her brother, she had a family, and she was happy. Claudia grabbed a nearby lamp and threw it against the wall. She didn't waste time in overturning the bed and tearing down the posters on the wall.

Claudia rested her whimpering body against the door and slid down. She slid her hands through her hair, the intense pain, the anger she felt was unbearable. But she reassured herself that it was all going to be better. She would save her brother and make her life better. All she needed to do was find Wells' time machine, take Artie's body in the past and return to her universe and save Joshua, her Joshua. She wiped her tears and got up. She needed to be strong.

Claudia went to the stairs and heard someone open the door. She took a peek and saw Artie come in wearing his usual hat and coat holding his bag. She had an idea—a good idea.

Artie walked towards the stairs and spotted Claudia. "Ah, there you are," Artie spoke"You shouldn't even be here. There's a lot to do today." Claudia took out three small balls from the pockets of her jacket. She began to juggle them.

"Ramo Sammee's juggling balls," Claudia said as she came down the stairs. "They leave the viewer enchanted by whoever juggles them."

Alternate Claudia let out a wide, wicked smile. "Gee Artie, I thought you were way smarter than this," she taunted him, "I guess you're getting senile." Alternate Claudia dropped the balls. They hit the floor and began rolling away. She took out a set of hand cuffs, the electric handcuffs that she had used a long time ago. She cuffed his hands. As soon as the balls stopped rolling Claudia called out Artie's name, and he snapped out of his tranceand blinked.

"Claudia, What are you doing!" he exclaimed.

Claudia took out a small device, one that Artie recognized. She pressed it causing the handcuffs to emit a strong electrical charge through Artie's body. Artie's muscles stiffened and his legs gave in. He soon found himself on the floor recovering from the shock. "Pipe down, will ya?" Claudia asked, smiling. "Now get up, you know the drill."

_ALTERNATE WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE_

Claudia sat at the computers, which had been fried by her evil counterpart. "Yep, these computers have been Claudiafied," Claudia said. After everyone's inquisitive stares, she added "I mean they are dead. I'll have to reboot the whole system using a factory reset."

"We don't have time for that, the longer she's in your reality the worse things can get," Artie said. "We'll have to send you back."

Claudia wanted to say something, butstopped herself short. She was unsure if she should ask the question that has been pounding inside of her head.

"Claudia?" Artie asked. "What is it?"

Claudia closed her eyes to summon the courage to askher question "Why am I," she paused. "Why is she, the other me…why is she—"

"Evil?" Myka asked. Claudia nodded. Artie sat down on the chair near her and brought his hands up to his mouth trying to figure out how to go about this. "Claudia," he asked , "In your reality, is Joshua alive?" Claudia nodded.

"Well, I didn't save him in this reality," Claudia's heart sank hearing those words. "Since then Claudia has been emotionally distant, dark. Once she figured out that Leena was under McPherson's influence, she tried to use that to get to him. She ended up hurting Leena," Artie explained.

Claudia's expression changed to oneof shock. "Hurting Leena? But why would I—" Claudia paused again and closed her eyes for a second, "Why would she do that?"

"It's because she wanted to get to McPherson, to find a way to get Joshua back. But waiting for us to catch him wasn't enough," Myka said. "You went after him, then Wells, and then us."

"The other Claudia," Pete clarified, noticing Claudia's mood. She knew that deep down inside her, she would have done it. She slowly turned around on the swivel chair she was in. Myka gave him a look and he shrugged it off.

"We need to get moving," Artie said. He got up and started to walk out to the door, one by one the other Pete and Mykafollowed. Claudia got up as well, resolved to stop evil Claudia before she'd hurt anyone else.


	4. Chapter 4

_NORMAL WAREHOUSE UNIVERSE_

"I can't wait here any longer," Myka explainedimpatiently, pacing around the office in the Warehouse.

"Artie said he'll be here," Pete said, trying to calm her down, "Relax, I get false messages, remember?"

That remark did nothing to settle Myka's nerves.Then the door to the umbilical that leads outside swung open. Artie was pushed in with his hands restrained by a pair of handcuffs. Behind him came Alternate Claudia, holding a small device in her hands.

"If it isn't Tweedledum and Tweedledee ," Alternate Claudia said, and then gave them a sadistic smile. She pressed the small device and Artie convulsed, receiving a powerful electric shock.

"Claudia, what are you doing!" Myka yelled. Pete dove down to help Artie get back up on his feet.

"That's not our Claudia," Artie said. "Our Claudia is trapped in another reality."

"What?" Pete asked, confused. "You mean she's?"

Alternate Claudia pulled out her modified Telsa gun and aimed it at Myka, who was about to pull out her own gun.

"Slow down, sister," Alternate Claudia said. "This one is set to kill."

Myka and Pete slowly raised their hands into the air. "Guns, throw them away," Alternate Claudia demanded. Both Myka and Pete slowly complied and threw their weapons off to the side. Alternate Claudia then threw a pair of handcuffs at Myka, "Handcuff yourself to Pete." Myka reluctantly did so.

"Good, glad we could all reach an understandment," Alternate Claudia said. "Now let's take a walk to the H.G. Wells section of the Warehouse. 'kay?"

"The time machine," Artie said, realizing her plan. "You plan on using it to get back to your reality in the past, to save Joshua." Alternate Claudia gave him a hateful glare, also wondering how he knew. "It's the only thing that would make you go to these lengths," Artie explained himself, "You don't need to do this, you're better than this Claudia—"

"SHUT UP!" Alternate Claudia cried out and raised her hand prepared to press the device, "Get moving, now!"

"Artie, I don't think you should make the crazy girl mad," Pete said. Artie agreed silently.

They began to walk outside into the Warehouse. They took twists and turns, Artie knew that they'd have to pass near the Mirror section. All he needed was a way to distract Alternate Claudia long enough for her to drop her guard. Suddenly, as if a prayer had beenanswered, everyone saw a bright flash.Pete and Myka looked at each other and read each other's minds. They took the chance and charged at Alternate Claudia. She quickly shot Pete with her Telsa, bringing him to his knees as the electric bolts wrapped themselves around him ripping apart his nerves. Myka was pulled down and slightly shocked as well.

"Pete!" Myka shouted, She couldn't do much being stuck with him.

"Oh crud," Alternate Claudia said as Artie started to move, since he was shocked by the handcuffs he got a lesser electric charge, "Look what you made me do."

Across a few aisles, Claudia managed to recover from a fit of coughing and smoke. She heard a faint screaming coming from two aisles over. She quickly rushed over to its source and found it coming from a long crate. She recognized the voice. "Leena?" she asked incredulously.

"Claudia?" called out the muffled reply.

Claudia's eyes opened wide "Leena!" She rushed over and pried the crate open to see a bunch of Egyptian dung beetles crawling all over Leena. She quickly pulled her out, brushing the beetles away. Leena scurried away from Claudia quickly"Leena," Claudia spoke, "It's okay, it's me."

"Claudia?" Leena smiled, she felt a cool wind of relief. Claudia's aura radiated a fondness, a familiarity that soothed her. "You need to warn Artie and the others!" Leena shouted.

"Cool down," Claudia said, "I gots things under control." Claudia got up and made her way towards the office but she felt Leena tug on her arm.

"Claudia, she's that way," Leena pointed out. Claudia stared back at her and remembered what Alternate Artie and gang told her. "Leena, leave. Get out of here, and don't stop." Claudia's eyes began to slightly water. Leena was about to protest but Claudia spoke again. "Leena, please." Leena hugged her.

"Just be careful," Leena told her, and thenwalked away. Claudia wipedher eyes and started to make her way down the aisles.

"It's show time," she said out loud as she pulled out a net gun from a pack she picked up from the side.


	5. Chapter 5

Alternate Claudia kicked Artie in the chest. "I said, get up!"

"Claudia," Artie pleaded, "you don't have to do this." Artie slowly got up and saw Pete on the ground as Myka trying to help him up.

"You know," Evil Claudia started to say, "I've had it up to here with you. All you do is talk, talk, talk." She pressed the hand device for a second, sending Artie back to the floor. "You never cared! Not about me! Not about Joshua!"

"That's not true!" Claudia, our normal Claudia, shouted as she aimed her net gun at the other Claudia.

"Oh great, the spoiled brat is here," Evil Claudia sighed, she felt exasperated as every deep and heavy emotion she had began to emerge, "look who decided to show up, the little brat."

"Artie did care, he saved Joshua and he looked out for me," Claudia continued, hoping that her evil counterpart would forget about hurting Artie anymore.

"Oh, you plan on shooting that thing anytime soon?" Alternate Claudia taunted her and aimed her Telsa gun at Claudia. Claudia never really shot anyone before, not even a gun that would trap whoever is the target with a neutralizer-dispensing net gun.However, whenshe saw that Alternate Claudia was moving her gun towards Artie, she gave it no further thought. Claudiashot her evil self. The net splashed around Alternate Claudia, who dropped the Telsa as she was propelled against the nearest shelf.

Claudia ran up to Artie and helped him up to his feet. "You know, you shouldn't really be playing with these handcuffs. They're bad for an old man like you," she said with a smile.Artie gave her "the look," and turned his attention towards Myka who was still stuck to Pete on the floor.

"How is he?" he asked.

"He's still alive," Myka said, and then looked at Claudia. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Let's just say Bloody Mary over there came from the Twilight zone and decided to trade places," Good Claudia said. Just as Pete finally started to move, they heard Alternate Claudia begin to laugh.

"You're such a prick," Alternate Claudia shouted at Claudia, "You really think you're better than me?" Alternate Claudia started to struggle, reaching for something but good Claudia couldn't make out exactly what it was.

"Don't listen to her," Artie warned, but Claudia walked up toward her.

"Don't tell me you wouldn't do anything for them," Alternate Claudia continued to taunt her. "You'd kill as many people as it would take if it meant saving Joshua, or even these losers." Claudia didn't say anything, she didn't have a chance. Artie fell to the floor again, wrenching in pain as wave after wave of electric shocks coursed through his arms up his torso and through his body.

"Stop that!" Claudia demanded. Alternate Claudia finally managed to free herself, and sprinted towards her Telsa gun. They both charged at each other, but Alternate Claudia managed to dive at her gun and roll away in time. She aimed her gun up at Artie, wanting to take revenge. All her plans had failed, but at least she would be able to cause as much pain as she has been through. She pulled the trigger sending off dozens of heavy electric bolts at Artie. Artie fell unconscious, lifeless.

Claudia screamed at the sight, and launched herself at Alternate Claudia. She drove her to the ground, and wrestled the Telsa gun away from Alternate Claudia. Claudia then aimed the Telsa gun at her evil self. "Do it!" Alternate Claudia dared her, that particular Telsa was still set to kill and Claudia knew it, "I know you want to, because I am you. You'd love to fire, after all I killed your precious Artie." Claudia closed her eyes, a tear ran down her cheek, and they opened with a fury. That same glare that she saw in her evil counterpart was now her own.

Myka and Pete pulled good Claudia away just as she fired the Telsa gun and missed her target. "NO!" she shouted. Alternate Claudia pulled out a hold out gun, one that looked oddly similar to the one used by H.G. Wells. But before she could open fire, a swarm of electric bolts enveloped her body from the side and pushed her to the ground unconscious. Good Claudia looked over to the side and found Leena standing there with a regular Telsa gun.

Artie started to groan and mumbled something that no one could understand. "Artie!" Claudia shouted overwhelmed in joy and pushed Pete off and ran over to help him up, along with Leena's aid. 

"I swear if you scare me like that again…" Claudia said and proceeded to wrap her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Can…" Artie started to say, "Can someone get these handcuffs OFF me?"

Claudia found herself overlooking the Warehouse from the loft, sitting on the edge with her head and arms resting on the rails. Leena walked up next to her and sat down as well.

"She's not you," Leena said compassionately. Claudia glanced down towards the endless aisles of the Warehouse. So many deep and dark secrets, she wondered if she was the same. Filled with so much darkness.

"Stop it, I hate it when you do that," Claudia said. "I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that I could kill—"

"She's not you," Leena reassured her. Claudia turned towards her and stared. "But I _am_ her," Claudia said firmly, in a dark tone. "I hated her, I wanted to kill her. I wanted to rip her guts out after I saw Artie on the floor." She closed her eyes and turned.She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on the rails.

"The truth is, I hated you," Claudia continued. "I hated you because I thought that somehow, deep down, you had it all, and would end up pushing me away. That what McPherson did was just a lucky way for you to make me look crazy." Claudia turned her head back at Leena with her eyes watering.

"I wasn't feeling to hot about myself, and I took it out on you," Claudia paused. "I would do anything, just like she said. Anything if something ever happened to any of you…even kill."

"That's not true," Leena stood up, "Claudia Donovan, you are the most stubborn individual I have ever met-"

"Ouch," Claudia said.

"-but also the most selfless. You have a kind heart, you're nothing like that person," Leena continued to say. "I always saw good in you. You'd do anything for those that you loved. You idiot, that's a good thing." Claudia got up slowly as Leena spoke.

"I'll have you know that I'm not an idiot," Claudia said playfully, "Well...maybe a little one." She smiled at Leena. She could tell that Leena was really trying. However, Claudia was still not convinced, she may never be convinced. But at least she did have a good family to be with. And in the end that was what mattered.

"Good, Artie wants everyone in the office," Leena said. Before she could turn around and walk back inside, Claudia surprised her with a strong heartfelt hug. She then wiped her face. "Thanks, I needed that."

That two walked into the office together to see Pete and Myka arguing with each other and annoying Artie.

"No, I wiggled my ear as in I should have gone first and then you!" Pete said. Myka gave him the "you're full of it" stare.

"Since when is wiggling your ear a signal for anything!" she argued.

"Who made you the author of the signal dictionary?" Pete retorted.

"Oh excuse me—I thought I was HAVING A BRIEFING!" Artie complained.

"Oh yeah, we're one big happy family," Claudia as she landed on chair with a huge grin on her face.


End file.
